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Fri. Mar 13th, 2026

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FBC: Firebreak Has Crossed One Million Players, Remedy Confirms



FBC: Firebreak, the new co-op shooter from Remedy Entertainment, has surpassed one million players, the studio announced Thursday. The game launched on June 17 and is available on Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Game Catalog. While members of the two subscription services would likely form the major chunk of the game’s player base, Remedy called the milestone “significant” and thanked FBC: Firebreak players.

FBC: Firebreak Hits 1 Million Players

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) Thursday, Remedy announced their latest title had crossed one million players and said it would continue supporting the game.

“As of last night, we have surpassed 1 million players in FBC: Firebreak. This is a significant milestone, so thank you for playing from all of us at Remedy,” the studio said.

“We know there is still a lot of work ahead of us, and we are super-motivated about it. We have a lot of exciting things cooking for Firebreak players! More about that soon.”

The post suggests Remedy is planning to add more content to the online shooter in the future.

FBC: Firebreak is a three-player co-op shooter set in the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) from Remedy’s 2019 action-adventure title, Control. The game is available on Game Pass and PS Plus Game Catalog, where members would be able to access it for free. The two services are likely large contributors to the FBC: Firebreak’s player base. On Steam, the game has reached an all-time peak of 1,992 concurrent players.

On Friday, Remedy announced it was working on FBC: Firebreak’s patch 1.3, which would be released next week, and work on the next patch was already underway, targeting release later in July. The studio confirmed that patch 1.3 would update perk economy in the game to make progress smoother for players.

The co-op title puts players in the shoes of Firebreak agents, FBC’s first-response team tasked with containing a paranatural threat inside the Oldest House. FBC: Firebreak features PvE matches with other players online.

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Criminal Stablecoin Use Continues Growing, Task Force Says



Most illegal activity happening on cryptocurrency ledgers now involves the tokens known as stablecoins, according to a report released on Thursday by an intergovernmental body that develops policies to protect the global financial system against money laundering and terrorist financing.

The findings in the new report from the Financial Action Task Force land just as US lawmakers and businesses are pushing for the wider distribution of stablecoins, crypto tokens that are pegged to the dollar or some other national currency.   

The task force, which brings together officials from most of the biggest countries in the world, found that a wide array of illicit actors — including terrorists, drug traffickers and North Korean hackers — have stepped up their use of stablecoins since the group’s last report on digital assets in 2024. 

The so-called “Genius Act” that was recently passed by the US Senate aims to normalise stablecoins by bringing them under a more standardised and rigorous regulatory regime than they have faced until now. This has led numerous companies to push forward with initiatives that would give consumers access to stablecoins and knit them into the traditional financial industry. 

The issuer of the USDC token, Circle Internet Group, went public in early June and its share price has risen more than sixfold since then. A company tied to President Donald Trump’s family, World Liberty Financial Inc., has released its own stablecoin project.  

Some critics of stablecoins have said that the tokens are a poor substitute for standard currencies and unlikely to gain traction outside the crypto industry. Earlier this week, a report from the Bank for International Settlements said the tokens “may eventually play a subsidiary role in the hinterland of the financial system if adequately regulated.”

The Financial Action Task Force, in its report, said that if stablecoins gain more widespread use in so-called “unhosted wallets,” outside the reach of financial institutions, it will potentially make it easier for criminals to evade detection in ways that “could amplify illicit finance risks.”

“The perceived reduction in volatility, transaction efficiency with low costs, and abundant liquidity in the market that make stablecoins attractive to many consumers and businesses also draw in criminals seeking to maximise profits and reduce their costs,” the report said.

The report singled out the use by illicit actors of the largest stablecoin, Tether Holdings’ USDT, on the ledger tied to the Tron cryptocurrency. The report also noted a “significant uptick” in the use of other digital assets in frauds and scams, and said that one industry participant had estimated “there was approximately $51 billion (roughly Rs. 4,36,214 crore) in illicit on-chain activity relating to fraud and scams in 2024.” Tether did not respond to a request for comment.

While government oversight of digital assets has improved, “big gaps remain” in making sure they don’t end up being used by terrorists and criminals, the report said. It called for governments to increase and enhance their licensing and registration of virtual asset companies and pointed to the ongoing challenges in identifying people and organisations running decentralised blockchain applications, which offer everything from lending to gaming. 

The task force, a standard-setting body that has no legal enforcement powers, began recommending standards for governments to apply to digital assets in 2019. It aims to release a report on stablecoins early next year and plans to propose new measures that governments can take to protect against illegal activity.  

© 2025 Bloomberg LP

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)



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Two Spacecraft Recreate Artificial Solar Eclipses to Observe the Sun’s Superhot Corona



Two spacecraft have achieved a rare milestone: recreating a total solar eclipse in space. The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba-3 mission released the first images on June 16 from a successful test where one satellite blocked the sun’s light, allowing the other to capture the blazing outer atmosphere—the corona. Unlike fleeting eclipses on Earth, this artificial version offers prolonged, repeated observations. “We could see the corona without any special image processing,” said Andrei Zhukov of the Royal Observatory of Belgium. “It was just visible there, like during a natural total solar eclipse.”

ESA’s Proba-3 Spacecraft Recreates Eclipses to Study Sun’s Million-Degree Corona in Unprecedented Detail

As per ESA reports, the Proba-3 spacecraft orbits Earth in an elliptical path, up to 60,000 kilometres at the far end. During alignment, they float a mere 150 metres apart, one satellite casting an accurate shadow on the other. This method allows scientists to block the sun’s brightly radiant disk and view the faint, million-degree corona, which is some 200 times hotter than the sun’s visible surface and can be observed only during total eclipses. The middle layer is where scientists think answers to why this outer region is so blisteringly hot may be found.

So far, the twin satellites have completed nine test eclipses, with the goal of performing two per week. While natural eclipses only happen every 18 months or so and last just a matter of minutes, Proba-3 could replicate an eclipse every 20 hours and prolong it for up to six hours. This capability gives scientists a unique opportunity to investigate in detail the solar corona’s dynamic and magnetic activity.

Proba-3 was lifted off to orbit from India on December 5. Over the next two years, the spacecraft is anticipated to provide upwards of 1,000 hours of eclipse data. The discovery not only makes it possible to systematically observe solar behavior but also helps to enhance the forecasts of solar weather needed to protect satellites and power grids.

ESA officials view this as a new era in heliophysics, where man-made eclipses will fill the observational gap left by the rarity of total solar eclipses on Earth. With each orbit and eclipse, scientists inch closer to solving the long-standing mysteries of our star’s fiery halo.



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Honor Magic V5’s Periscope Telephoto Camera Teased Ahead of July 2 Launch



Honor Magic V5 will be introduced in China on July 2, and the company is actively sharing teasers, revealing its design and specifications. With the latest social media poster, Honor has showcased the periscope telephoto camera on the upcoming foldable smartphone. The Honor Magic V5 is expected to have a triple rear camera unit. It will feature a slim profile, and is confirmed to pack a 6,100mAh battery. 

In a new Weibo teaser, Honor revealed that the Magic V5 will feature a 64-megapixel periscope telephoto camera with support for optical image stabilisation (OIS). The company stated that the upcoming model has the highest-resolution periscope telephoto camera among foldable smartphones in the market. For reference, last year’s Honor Magic V3 had a 50-megapixel periscope lens.

Besides the periscope telephoto sensor, the Honor Magic V5 is rumoured to sport a 50-megapixel primary camera and a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor.

Further, the Honor Magic V5 is officially confirmed to include Honor Luban shock-absorbing hinge. It is claimed to be drop-resistant and offer AI-based foreign object detection on the inner screen.

Honor Magic V5: What We Know So Far

The launch of Honor Magic V5 is scheduled to take place in China on July 2. It is confirmed to feature a 6,100mAh battery. It will be sold in four colour options — Dawn Gold, Silk Road Dunhuang, Velvet Black, and Warm White (translated). It will be available in 12GB + 256GB, 16GB + 512GB, and 16GB + 1TB RAM and storage configurations.

The Honor Magic V5 will measure 8.8mm in thickness in the folded state. It is likely to debut as the world’s thinnest and lightest foldable smartphone.

As per past leaks, the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset will power the Honor Magic V5. The foldable phone is expected to feature an IPX8-rated build for dust and water resistance. The handset could get a 6.45-inch LTPO OLED cover screen and an 8-inch 2K inner display. It is likely to have 66W wired fast charging and is rumoured to weigh 217g.

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Breakthrough Laser Tech Enhances LiDAR Accuracy and Gas Detection


Laser technology underpins many modern applications requiring precise measurement and communication. Scientists led by NTNU’s Johann Riemensberger have developed a new integrated laser that is fast, powerful, relatively inexpensive, and easy to use. The work is a collaboration with Switzerland’s École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and chip specialist Luxtelligence. This approach overcomes key limitations of conventional precision lasers, which are typically large, costly and difficult to adjust. According to Riemensberger, such lasers could enable small, affordable, high-performance instruments and communication systems.

Advanced materials, microscopic circuits

According to the study published in Nature Photonics, the new laser is implemented on a photonic chip using advanced materials such as thin-film lithium niobate, leveraging its electro-optic (Pockels) effect for ultrafast, mode-hop-free frequency tuning. It combines the lithium niobate circuit with a commercial semiconductor gain chip, yielding a laser that is both powerful and robust.

It emits a stable beam and allows the frequency to be adjusted quickly and smoothly without mode hops. Notably, the device can be operated using a single tuning knob instead of multiple controls. Because it relies on standard chip fabrication processes, the laser can be mass-produced inexpensively. “Our findings make it possible to create small, inexpensive and user-friendly measuring instruments and communication tools with high performance,” Riemensberger says.

Self-driving cars and air quality detectors

Conventional precision lasers are often large, expensive and difficult to tune. Riemensberger notes that “our new laser solves several of these problems”. The team demonstrated the device in LiDAR (light detection and ranging) systems for self-driving cars, where lasers measure distance by timing reflected pulses. This laser achieved a range precision of about four centimeters, enabling very high-resolution environmental mapping.

Its rapid, mode-hop-free tuning allowed it to sweep across gas absorption lines, enabling sensitive detection of trace hydrogen cyanide, demonstrating potential for rapid gas sensing in safety and environmental monitoring. In fact, Simone Bianconi of EPFL notes that the laser’s combination of tunable, low-noise output makes it well-suited for coherent LiDAR and precision gas sensing.

 

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Honor X9c India Launch Confirmed; to Get 108-Megapixel Rear Camera, 1.5K Curved AMOLED Display



NASA and ISRO Confirm Japan’s Moon Lander Resilience Crashed at Mare Frigoris





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Canva Launches Deep Research Connector with ChatGPT, Introduces New Open MCP Server



Canva introduced two new artificial intelligence (AI) features for its visual communications platform on Thursday. While these are backend features that will not be visible on the frontend to the user, they significantly improve its capabilities in terms of platform integration. The first new feature is Canva’s deep research connector for ChatGPT. This allows OpenAI’s chatbot to answer queries about a user’s Canva projects. The second feature is an open Model Context Protocol server, which is designed to let AI assistants and chatbots connect with Canva to perform several actions.

Canva Gets New Integration-Based AI Features

In a press release, the visual communications platform detailed the two new features. Calling itself the first design platform to directly integrate into ChatGPT, Canva said the deep research connector allows the OpenAI chatbot to connect with Canva and answer user queries about their files and projects.

Canva says this feature will save users the hassle of switching between the apps and manually uploading their designs to ChatGPT, in case they want to take feedback from the AI. The feature will only work when the chatbot’s Deep Research mode is active.

Interestingly, once connected, ChatGPT can also understand the context behind the user’s queries. For instance, a user can say, “Summarise our Q1 campaign strategy,” and the chatbot will search the user’s Canva data to find the right deck and provide a summary for the same. Since Deep Research is available to ChatGPT users across all tiers, the feature does not require users to purchase a subscription.

The visual communications platform has also added an open MCP server to enable third-party chatbots to connect with Canva’s platform. MCP was created by Anthropic as a standardised way for AI systems to connect with external data hubs. With this, users can generate design projects and decks, resize files, import and export assets, and more while conversing with their favourite AI chatbot.

For instance, a user can tell Gemini to “Generate a pitch deck based on this chat,” and Google’s chatbot will generate a new Canva presentation within the chat interface. While the server was introduced on Thursday, the company says MCP integrations with Claude, ChatGPT, Salesforce and more will be available soon. No date for the integration was provided.



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Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Said to Offer More RAM; iPhone 17 Lineup May Get 12GB RAM



Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series is still months away from a potential launch, but a new leak suggests some key hardware upgrades on the devices. The flagship lineup, which is expected to include the vanilla Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+ and Galaxy S26 Ultra, is said to pack more RAM than their predecessors. The RAM upgrade is likely to handle all the improved and Galaxy AI features that are expected to be available with the new lineup. The leak also hints at the RAM details of the iPhone 17 series.

New Samsung Galaxy S26 Series Leak Suggests RAM Upgrade

Tipster Jukan Choi (@Jukanlosreve), citing data from Macquarie Research, states that next year’s Galaxy S26 series will pack 16GB of RAM. The new leak indicates that the upcoming Galaxy S series might be available in a 16GB RAM option in all markets. This would mark an upgrade over the existing Galaxy S25 series.

In the current lineup, only the Galaxy S25 Ultra offers 16GB of RAM in select markets, such as Korea and China. The vanilla Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ pack 12GB of RAM.

Further, the tipster claims that Apple will offer 12GB RAM option in its iPhone 17 series this year. The lineup, which is expected to include vanilla iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, could go official in September this year. This would be an improvement over the 8GB RAM in the current iPhone 16 models. Next year’s iPhone 18 series is said to stick with 12GB.

The rumoured memory upgrade in the Galaxy S26 series could contribute to better performance of  Galaxy AI-powered features as well as multitasking, and gaming. This would allow Samsung to reinforce its position in the highly competitive smartphone space, especially against Chinese smartphone brands, many of which already offer smartphones with up to 24GB of RAM. Handsets like the OnePlus 13 and the Red Magic 10 Pro series are sold with up to 24GB RAM.



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Meta Reportedly Planning to Acquire Startup PlayAI and Some of Its Employees



Meta is reportedly planning to acquire the Palo Alto, California-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup PlayAI. As per the report, the acquisition is aimed at bolstering its AI division to compete with the likes of OpenAI and Google. The Menlo Park-based social media giant has been aggressively pushing out new AI models and AI features for its platforms. The reported acquisition plans could help the company gain more employees skilled in AI, as well as the startup’s in-house technology stack.

According to a Bloomberg report, the tech giant is considering purchasing PlayAI. The AI startup was founded in 2019 by Hammad Syed and Mahmoud Felfel. It specialises in building real-time conversational agents, voice interfaces, and in-house AI voice models. Citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, the report claimed that the move to acquire the startup comes from Meta’s desire to hire top talent in the AI space.

The acquisition deal, which is yet to be finalised, reportedly also includes a provision to hire some of the startup’s employees. While the acquisition is expected to be completed soon, terms can still change, claimed the report. Notably, the financial terms of the deal are currently not known.

Meta appears to be actively looking for AI startups to acquire. Several reports earlier this month claimed that Mark Zuckerberg’s team held meetings with Perplexity to discuss a possible acquisition. The company has reportedly also made attempts to acquire Runway AI, a startup focused on developing AI models for video generation.

Apart from adding more AI talent to its team, the acquisition of PlayAI can also help Meta in other ways. The social media giant recently added a two-way voice conversation feature to its chatbot, however, in terms of end product, it is just a low-latency text-to-speech (TTS) tool. Compared to competitors such as ChatGPT or Gemini, this is one area where Meta AI is significantly behind.

However, this can change with the acquisition of PlayAI, which specialises in building AI voice generation models and voice interfaces. With this capability, the social media giant can scale up its own AI infrastructure and provide a voice experience that sounds more expressive and human-like.



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Samsung Galaxy M36 5G Launched in India With Exynos 1380 SoC, 5,000mAh Battery



Samsung Galaxy M36 5G has been launched in India. The new Galaxy M series smartphone features a 7.7mm thin profile, and is equipped with the Exynos 1380 chipset. At the front, the phone boasts a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy M36 5G features a triple rear camera unit led by a 50-megapixel primary sensor. It houses a 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired charging support.

Samsung Galaxy M36 5G Price in India

Samsung Galaxy M36 5G is priced at Rs. 22,999 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant. With bank offers, the handset can be purchased for a discounted price of Rs. 16,999. The 8GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB models are priced at Rs. 17,999 and Rs. 20,999, respectively (including bank discount). It comes in Orange Haze, Serene Green, and Velvet Black colour options. It will go on sale in India through Amazon, Samsung India website and select retail stores starting July 12. 

Samsung Galaxy M36 5G Specifications

The Galaxy M36 5G runs on One UI 7 based on Android 15, and is confirmed to receive six generations of Android upgrades and six years of security updates. The phone features a 6.7-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,340 pixels) Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus protection. It runs on an Exynos 1380 processor along with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of onboard storage.

For optics, the Galaxy M36 5G has a triple camera unit on the back, led by a 50-megapixel main sensor with support for OIS. The setup also includes a 12-megapixel ultrawide shooter and a 5-megapixel macro camera. On the front, the phone has a 12-megapixel selfie camera. Both rear and front cameras support 4K video recording.

The Galaxy M36 5G offers multiple AI image editing tools, including Object Eraser, Image Clipper, and Edit Suggestions. It also comes with Google’s Circle-to-Search feature and AI Select. It offers the Knox Vault feature for security.

Samsung has packed a 5,000mAh battery on the Galaxy M36 5G with 45W fast charging support. It measures 7.7mm in thickness. 

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Maaman Now Available for Streaming on Z5: Everything You Need to Know



The most anticipated family drama of Suri, Maaman, has been released in theatres on May 16, 2025. It has been directed by Prashanth Pandiarajan and caught the attention of the fans through its emotional trailer. It gained good responses for its actions and intensity of emotions in the story. Suri has also been a storyteller in the movie, beyond just being an actor. Maaman offered a unique and sentimental journey through its Tamil heritage, family emotions, and action sequences and won the hearts of millions.

When and Where to Watch Maaman

Zee5 has bagged the rights, and the film is now streaming on the platform, in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Trailer and Plot of Maaman

The film shows the struggle of a man with his wife and nephew. The story revolves around the lives of Inba and Rekha. They are a great couple and deeply in love with each other. Yet the challenges come when Rekha’s overly affectionate nature towards her nephew, Ladu, makes her husband think over her love for him, and the scenario of misunderstandings starts, leading to their separation. However, later the story moves to an emotional depth, and both realise each other’s worth in life and try to sort out their mistakes. This is what has kept the audience till the climax in the story.

Cast and Crew of Maaman

It stars Aishwarya Lakshmi and Rajkiran, the veteran actor, as protagonists. Further, Swasika, Baba Bhaskar, Jayaprakash, Viji Chandrashekhar, and Geetha Kailasham are also in important roles. The movie has been directed by Prashanth Pandiarajan and written by Soori. The producer of the film is K Kumar under Lark Studios.

Reception and Buzz of Maaman

With an IMDb rating of 6.3 out of 10, the film has received different views from the perspective of critics and the audience. Yet, the movie is a family entertainer and is awaited by the fans of Rajkiran.

 



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